So you've done your homework, burned up your computer's hard drive saving pictures of your dream cars, and are now ready to take the bull by the horns and start negotiating! If you're like most folks, here's where you wish you could wave a wand and have the car magically appear in the driveway. Would you believe the Internet has made it almost that easy?
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| If you want the inside edge when it comes to negotiating on a price for your new car it helps to know what the dealer paid for the vehicle, and sites like Free Invoice Prices are there to help. (Photo: www.freeinvoiceprices.com) |
Industry experts advise that the best way to save money on your purchase is to know what the dealer paid for the vehicle (Dealer Cost) and negotiate a reasonable mark-up from there rather than trying to dicker the dealer down from the MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price). Where can you get this heavily guarded confidential information? There are three online sources in Canada; Car Cost Canada www.carcostcanada.com, Free Invoice Prices www.freeinvoiceprices.com and Car Invoice Prices www.carinvoiceprices.ca. All three offer similar information and varying additional services. Membership/subscription plans range from $9.95 to $95.00, depending on the level of information and services you require. All of these services offer not only dealer cost for virtually every vehicle sold in Canada, but also dealer cost for every option, current rebates and cash incentives, special lease and finance rates, and any special buying programs that may be in effect. Presto! With just a few clicks of the mouse the Canadian consumer can now be empowered with all the pricing information needed to cut through the negotiating nightmare and to save themselves significant money by making a fair and reasonable offer to the dealer. Testimonials from satisfied customers on the Car Cost Canada website suggest savings in the $1,000 to $3000 range over and above what they expected to save. So this looks like a consumer-friendly site that's hit a happy nerve with many buyers.
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| Satisfied customers of Car Cost Canada suggest savings in the $1,000 to $3000 range over and above what they expected to save. (Photo: www.carcostcanada.com) |
For the feint-of-heart who still can't warm up to the idea of wheeling and dealing, Car Cost Canada has set up a service for members called their Premium Plan, where Certified Vehicle Negotiators will negotiate three best quotes for the vehicle(s) of your choice with local-area dealers. What could be easier?